Projects for Advanced Field Experiences
There is no one “type” of project; projects should reflect the needs of the sites, the interests of the student(s), and relate to the SLIS curriculum.
Here are some parameters to consider for project design:
- All students should be supervised by a professional while on site
- Supervisors cannot be volunteers
- All work done by students must be professional in nature
- No menial, sub-, or para-professional work is appropriate (e.g., getting coffee)
- Compensation is not required
It is important to note that all sites, projects, and placements are subject to approval by the Manager of Curricular Field Experiences at SLIS.
Here are some examples of past advanced field experiences:
- Local History outreach intern at a public library
- Knowledge Management intern at a consulting firm
- Museum archive intern at a museum for contemporary culture
- Reference internship at a university art library
- Cataloging and outreach internship at a college music library
- Archives intern for a professional sports’ team
- Website design intern for a large city public school system
- Digital scholarship intern at a medical school
- Rare books and special collections intern at a religious history association
- Cataloging intern at a regional genealogical society
- Technical services intern at a university library
- e-Learning systems intern at an EdTech company
- Collections intern at a children’s museum
Deliverables, or final products, vary by site and project. For advanced field experiences, it is preferred (but not required) that sites offer students with a variety of projects during the course of their time on site. For example, a student could work on 4 smaller projects to add up to their 130-hours of work.
Students are asked to provide some evidence of their field experience when they submit their final reflection at the end of each semester. Past submissions have included, but are not limited to: a link to a digital finding aid; an online exhibit; a portfolio of outreach initiatives; and/or a daily log book of their experience.
The field experience is worth 50% of a student’s grade for LIS 512, taking into account their work products, completion of all required hours, and supervisor’s evaluations.